Christmas with Carlie

by Julianna Morris

  Carlie shook her head. “It sounds like a big step for a protective daddy.”

  “Thank you.” Luke gestured toward the photographer in the lobby below. “How about getting our picture on the stairs? Something for memory lane. It would be fun.”

  She looked skeptical again and he grinned.

  “Honestly. It’s your influence. I’ve been thinking about the opportunities I’ve missed over the years and don’t want to miss any more of them.”

  “From your childhood?”

  “Partly. I stopped being angry with my parents a long time ago, but lately I’ve decided I should have appreciated them more. They didn’t put us in boarding school. Instead, we did everything together. It’s a shame I didn’t let myself enjoy it.”

  Luke had the fleeting thought that his mom and dad hadn’t been nearly as bad at parenting as he’d thought, and there were some things they’d done exceptionally well. Spending time with their kids was one of them. They’d certainly done a better job of it than he had with the twins.

  Carlie returned the wineglass to him. “I think some children are born serious and take things more to heart.”

  “Like Annie?” Luke finished the wine and gave the glass to a passing waiter. “Do you really think my staff has been trying to keep the girls from disturbing me?”

  “It’s possible. Imagine how easy it would be to say, ‘Don’t bother your father—he’s sad,’ or ‘Don’t argue—you’ll upset Papa.’”

  It was all too easy to imagine.

  “I’ll have to talk to them,” he murmured. “It isn’t my daughters’ job to protect me.”

  With their mother gone, Beth and Annie would never have the carefree childhood they deserved. The least he could do was preserve some of it.

  He extended his arm to Carlie. “Come on, let’s get that picture. Here’s your chance to give me another lesson on how to play.”

  Her expression was doubtful, but she put her hand on his elbow and they walked down to pose for the photographer.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  ON MONDAY MORNING, Nicole sat on the couch to make a list of things to do before going out to run errands. Chico instantly hopped into her lap, purring and arching against her. Like Bandit, he was a remarkably affectionate kitten.

  “Tell you a secret,” she said to him. “I’m bringing your brother home today.”

  She was thrilled that Bandit had been given a clean bill of health, and even more thrilled about how things were going with Gideon. He still hadn’t mentioned the future, except to pointedly tell her that he’d chosen a resident to help at his clinic so he wouldn’t have to be on call 24/7.

  It seemed to be a good sign.

  After Gideon had described his marriage, she’d stopped worrying about the hazards of rebound relationships and started worrying he’d think she was too much like his ex-wife.

  Chico rolled on his back, his purr doubling in volume as she rubbed around his ears.

  Gideon had specifically mentioned that he and his ex-wife had disagreed about where to live and about having children. Nicole frowned in thought. She might not be great with kids, but she wanted a family. What’s more, she liked the country and didn’t mind the limited services in Glimmer Creek.

  As for housekeepers and cooks? They didn’t appeal to her, either. And she could be a lot of help at the clinic, either by improving their existing computer system or designing a new one that worked better. She didn’t care that it wasn’t glamorous, just that she could have a real purpose. Much as Nicole adored her brother, he could hire any programmer he wanted. But Glimmer Creek didn’t seem to have any tech-savvy residents. She could reach out to other businesses and offer her technical services.

  Her cell phone rang and she saw it was Carlie. “Hey, what’s up?”

  “I wondered if the mixer and stuff you ordered had come, or whether I still need to bring my stuff for baking cookies tonight.”

  “Everything is here.” Nicole glanced toward the suite’s kitchen, where she’d unpacked everything, though she was still learning how to use the equipment.

  “Terrific. But it’ll be a lot of work getting everything back to Austin,” Carlie said lightly.

  “You know perfectly well I’m not planning to go anywhere,” Nicole retorted and heard a laugh. “I’d rather have Gideon propose to me, but I’ll do it if he doesn’t. Oh, I’m bringing Bandit home today, so you’ll meet him when you come.”

  “The pictures you’ve taken are precious. Uncle Liam has checked the live traps twice a day, but the only animals he’s caught are pissed-off raccoons. I think it was just Chico and Bandit out there.”

  “That’s great. I’d better go. I have your list of ingredients to buy before going to the vet clinic for Bandit.”

  “See you later.”

  Nicole hummed as she headed to the Argonaut Market. From there she went to the vet clinic, timing it just before the lunch hour. With luck she could snatch a couple of minutes with Gideon.

  “Hi, Dorothy,” she called as she opened the door.

  The receptionist smiled back at her. “Big day, huh?”

  “Yup.” Nicole held up the animal carrier she’d gotten at a local hardware store. “No more cardboard boxes for the kids.”

  Dorothy chuckled and took her back to where Bandit was waiting, none too patiently. He purred under Nicole’s chin for a moment, but was less happy to go in the carrier. “We’re going home. You aren’t staying in there for long,” she scolded gently, and he seemed to calm down when she picked the carrier up and brought it with her.

  “Is Gideon around?” she asked, taking out her credit card to pay the bill. There was no point in being coy when everyone on the staff seemed to be aware of their relationship.

  “He’s with a patient. Godzilla stuffed his nose in one of those large cans of chili.”

  “Poor boy. Will they be out soon?”

  “Oh, yeah. He isn’t hurt, just stuck.” Dorothy handed her the credit-card slip to sign.

  A loud bark came from one of the exam rooms and Nicole jumped. Her pulse still fluttered around the really, really big dogs, but she decided to put Bandit in the SUV and come back inside. No reason for him to get spooked while she was waiting for Gideon.

  “I need more kitten food, Dorothy, so I’ll be right back.”

  They were still chatting when Godzilla came bounding out. Nicole tensed, half expecting the loud woof he’d let out the last time they’d crossed paths. But Godzilla just whined and his tail swished madly.

  “Uh, hello, Godzilla,” she said with only a faint tremor in her voice.

  “You were here when I brought him in the last time,” exclaimed the dog’s owner. “He’s doing much better now that he’s in obedience training.”

  Nicole swallowed, knowing Gideon was watching from the door of the exam room. Yet it didn’t matter; she was proving something to herself, not to him. “I can tell.”

  The other woman beamed. “Thanks. We’d better get going, though. I don’t want to tempt fate. Come, Godzilla.”

  * * *

  GIDEON ADMIRED THE determined look in Nicole’s eyes. Her fear of dogs was completely justified, making her efforts to overcome it even more admirable.

  “Did you just get here?” he asked.

  “No, Bandit is out in the SUV. I was just getting more food for him and Chico.” Nicole held up the bag of kitten food. “I also want to invite you to dinner on Wednesday at our suite. Beth and Annie want to see you and it would be quieter than a restaurant.”

  “Sounds good. What can I bring?”

  “Just yourself. Is five thirty too early? The twins hate missing the lighted parade and I thought we could all see it together.”

  “Five thirty is fine. I’ll see you then.”

  Gideon went back t
o his office and dropped into the chair in front of his desk.

  He’d fallen hard for Nicole. Now he had to figure out what to do about it. The money thing was still an issue, though he was getting the feeling that it wasn’t that important to her.

  Or was that wishful thinking?

  Her admiration for Helga’s quilt had been genuine, which was a good sign. And she didn’t like her nieces’ “snooty” school. She didn’t put on airs or throw out the designer names for her clothes or draw attention to her jewelry. She seemed just as comfortable in sweatshirts and canvas loafers as she did in Vera Wang and Prada.

  Ultimately, he just needed to have faith that she knew he wasn’t rich and could live with what that meant.

  * * *

  THAT EVENING, CARLIE found Nicole was determined to be as hands-on as possible during the cookie-making process. As her friend grew more assured at measuring ingredients and mixing the dough, Carlie stepped back and let her take over.

  It made her feel good to see Nicole getting closer to her nieces. They’d bonded at the skating rink, where Annie was showing a real ability. The other guests loved watching her skate, but she seemed oblivious to the attention.

  Beth had sulked when she realized Annie was better, only to get over it when three jugglers from the Madrigal Players came to demonstrate their techniques. Beth had been fascinated and immediately began practicing, while Annie couldn’t have cared less.

  The balance between them might always be tricky, but Luke had begun stepping in when tensions arose. He also seemed much more comfortable with the girls as the days passed. Carlie wasn’t an expert, but her mom had always said raising kids was a marathon, not a sprint. Luke would just have to keep plugging away.

  The two rescued kittens were playing together, clearly happy to be reunited. But Bandit frequently ran to Nicole with a cry, seeming to want reassurance, and was picked up for a quick snuggle.

  “You seem uptight, Carlie,” Luke murmured, handing her a cup of the wassail his sister had made earlier.

  “Not at all.”

  It was stretching the truth. Over the past forty-eight hours she’d gone through a roller coaster of hope and worry about her father. Her mom was just as bad, though they were trying not to let it show.

  “I got a copy of the photo from Saturday,” Luke said softly. “It’s really good, even if we weren’t smiling.”

  Carlie had received a copy, too, and the picture had startled her. She and Luke were looking at each other in the image, appearing to pass a hundred unspoken messages between them.

  But was it just a case of photo hocus-pocus? Perry had been the photographer that night and he was gifted at finding the magic in ordinary moments. On the other hand, Luke had been trying to show he was willing to change and no longer be quite as domineering.

  If he didn’t have feelings for her, why would he be doing that?

  * * *

  ON WEDNESDAY EVENING, Gideon knocked at the Yosemite suite and heard a shriek of childish voices, each declaring, “I’ll get it.”

  The twins opened the door together, giggling. “Hi, Gideon,” said the one he thought was Beth. “Aunt Nicole has another kitty and she says you made him better.”

  “Let him come in,” Nicole scolded. Her face was flushed and she wore a dish towel tied around her waist. She’d never been more beautiful.

  Beth and Annie each grabbed one of his hands and dragged him inside.

  “Hello, Gideon,” said Luke Forrester.

  “Hi, Luke.” They nodded and shook hands, as if following a ritual. Maybe they were. He was “meeting the family” in the age-old ceremony of a man formally meeting his sweetheart’s relatives.

  “We’re almost ready to eat. I just need to put the food out,” Nicole explained. She returned to the kitchen and soon called everyone to the table. “I hope you don’t mind something simple.”

  “Of course not.”

  Gideon had expected takeout, but it was obviously a home-cooked meal.

  “I’m in shock. Is it safe to eat?” Luke teased before taking his first bite.

  “Of course.” Nicole looked annoyed. “I’m taking lessons from one of Carlie’s great-aunts. She claims I’m a natural.” She glared at her brother when he laughed. “It isn’t funny, Luke. I’ve wanted to take a cooking class for ages but couldn’t find the right one.”

  “Well, this is delicious,” Gideon interjected. The baked chicken was juicy and lightly seasoned, the way he liked it best. And he found himself irritated with Nicole’s brother for teasing her. Learning to cook wasn’t easy. Helga had taught him the basics, but he couldn’t claim to have a special knack for it.

  The whole thing was making him think. When he’d married Renee, they’d both been young and convinced that love was all they needed. They hadn’t worked at their marriage—they’d just gone along, making assumptions about the future. If he’d still loved Renee, he could have suggested they compromise by living in a smaller community that was close enough to the city to take advantage of its benefits. And if she’d still loved him, she might have agreed.

  Being in love took effort and meant meeting halfway, whether you had everything in common or just a few things.

  Nicole was patiently listening to her nieces tell a story about the sledding hill and Gideon smiled. He was crazy about her. Now he just needed to find the right time to tell her how he felt and hope she felt the same.

  * * *

  ON THURSDAY MORNING, Luke walked over to Old City Hall for another useless attempt to get Carlie to talk over a cup of coffee. She’d practically thrown him out the day before, so he almost expected the employees at Guest Reception to bar him.

  He was getting more and more frustrated. Outwardly Carlie was friendly and willing to do as much with the girls as before, but a wall remained between them. He didn’t blame her. She had no reason to trust him and ample cause to think he was an arrogant ass who’d never listen to what she wanted.

  One thing was sure, though—he wasn’t returning to Austin until he’d convinced Carlie they belonged together. If necessary, he’d move to Glimmer Creek with the girls and camp out on her doorstep.

  He’d talked very seriously with Beth and Annie, saying he wanted them to understand that he would always love their mommy, but it didn’t mean he couldn’t also love someone else. Beth had seemed a little confused until Annie told her, in a very solemn tone, that Papa meant Carlie. Both of them were in favor of her becoming their new mother and of living in California, though he’d reminded them that it wouldn’t always be sledding and Christmas and baking cookies.

  “We know that, Papa,” Beth had said. “That isn’t what we love about Carlie.”

  Anne had nodded. “We love Carlie because she’s Carlie.”

  Luke had hugged them both, his heart so full he couldn’t speak. Somehow his daughters had grown very wise. He loved Carlie because she was Carlie, too. She was bright, lively, determined and fun. She was also the most caring and generous person he’d ever known.

  In the back of Old City Hall, he found Carlie talking to Joan Peters about the second children’s party on Saturday. She looked exultantly happy and he hoped it was good news about her father.

  “What’s up?” he asked when Joan had returned to her desk.

  Carlie smiled even more brightly. “Dr. Thornton has reviewed my father’s records. He called last night to give us his opinion. Apparently surgery should improve Dad’s mobility and strength. But the most important operation will be to correct spinal damage that the other specialist missed. The first surgery will be in San Francisco, probably in February.”

  Luke frowned. “Why so long?”

  “Don’t go meddling,” Carlie warned. “Dr. Thornton would operate earlier, but he needs Dad to stay off work and get into better health first—rest, eat properly and get ple
nty of sleep.”

  “Mike is okay with that?”

  “Yes, because now there’s a purpose to taking it easy. Dad has even agreed to follow a pain-management program. So, even though you interfered by calling Dr. Thornton in the first place, I can’t be too unhappy about it.”

  Luke felt enormous relief. “I promise not to do anything like that again without discussing it with you.”

  “It isn’t likely to come up.”

  “You never know. I’m considering a move to Glimmer Creek, so I may be around more than you think.”

  Carlie rolled her eyes. “That hardly seems likely, either.”

  “Hey, I’m serious. Will you look for land with me?”

  She regarded him for a long minute. “Why land?”

  “Because I’m told there aren’t many houses available at the moment and I may have to build. How about it?”

  “I’m sure you don’t need my opinion.”

  Luke tried to be patient. He had no intention of buying property without Carlie’s full involvement. “I’d rather look with you. The real-estate agent said she was free this afternoon.”

  Carlie glanced at her watch. “Sorry, but Mom and I are going to Stockton to shop. Dad has promised to sleep while we’re gone and I think he really means it.” She hurried out before he could suggest he take them in the SUV.

  But it wasn’t until later that he realized he should have first asked if Carlie even wanted to stay in Glimmer Creek. Obviously he had a distance to go when it came to making assumptions and decisions that affected other people.

  * * *

  AT THE SECOND holiday ball, Nicole wore a dark green velvet gown and felt like a fairy-tale princess as she and Gideon whirled around the ballroom to a Strauss waltz.